Patriots stomp Cabot 17-1CABOT -- The Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots came back from their midsummer break with a bang and blasted Cabot 17-1 on Monday. Russellville scored all 17 runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Patriots added two in the fourth, eight in the fifth and seven in the sixth. Post 20 collected 13 hits and 15 RBIs. Joel Barker was the winning pitcher. He struck out one and gave up one hit in three innings. At bat, Mason Huie w...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Dardenelle's Witt vies to start for OuachitaDARDANELLE -- Parker Witt, who played outside linebacker for the Dardanelle Sand Lizards just two years ago, is the projected starter for the Ouachita Baptist University Tigers at middle linebacker for the 2016 season. Of course, anything could happen between now and then. "Someone could get hurt, or someone could move up," he said. "But I started during the spring games. You never know." Witt got some playing time as a freshman when he rotate...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

AAA dead period ends MondayThe Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) enforced dead period ends Monday, and teams return to football fields and gymnasiums across the Arkansas River Valley. After two weeks off, coaches said they have to think about what intensity they want to put the kids through during practice. "You think two weeks is not that long off, but when you are working on your body, it can be," Two Rivers Gators head coach Josh Harrison said. "Your better playe...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Prochazka seeks a successful senior seasonRachel Prochazka, 17, has big goals for her senior season. Not only did she add cheerleading to her already full athletic schedule, she has aspirations of bringing home state titles in volleyball and soccer. Prochazka, whose older sister was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, said she has cheered competitively for a long time but never at the high school because it conflicted with her favorite sport -- volleyball. When the rules changed prior to th...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

RHS football boosters to host glow runThe Russellville Cyclones Football Booster Club will host the fourth annual Cyclone Football Glo Run 5k on Aug. 3 to raise money for the Russellville football program. The self-described "original" glow-in-the-dark race in Russellville will start on the east side of Russellville Junior High School. "Gina Skelton started the run when our boys were in the ninth grade to feed our junior high players pregame meals," booster club member Jami Mullen...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Atkins duo takes Team of the Year AYFA honorsATKINS -- Red Devils senior Garrett Pack and junior Jacob Biffle have a knack for hauling fish out of the water. The Atkins pair were named Anglers of the Year by the Arkansas Youth Fishing Association (AYFA) after strong finishes in the AYFA's five-tournament series. Pack and Biffle placed fourth on Lake Millwood, won Lake Dardanelle, took sixth on Lake Greeson, fourth on Lake Ouachita and third on Bull Shoals. Pack said the pair determined e...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Dead period good for student athletesFootball fields and gymnasiums are silent across the state as the second week of the Arkansas Activities Association's (AAA) enforced dead period begins on Sunday. Dead period is two weeks in the summer coaches are not allowed to conduct practices or have contact with the athletes. Without it, Pottsville Apaches head coach Bryan Rust said he believed athletics would be a year-round responsibility for area athletes. "The way sports in general h...

Clarksville to break ground on turfCLARKSVILLE -- Metheny Field will receive an approximately $680,000 upgrade and a new name before the first snap of the 2016 football season as construction crews break ground on an artificial turf project in July. By comparison, the turf upgrade at Cyclone Stadium had a price tag of $750,000 in 2010, although it included upgrades to track and field facilities. The turf project at Arkansas Tech University (ATU) cost $728,753. John Payne, presi...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Stamps signs with Ave MariaTHE COURIER / Submitted Stamps signs with Ave Maria Former Russellville native Michael Stamps will play football with the NAIA school Ave Maria in the fall. Stamps, who did not begin playing football until his freshman season, tore his ACL his sophomore season, and his senior season was his only full varsity season. Stamps benches 420, squats 560 and can clean 330.

QB battle underway at PottsvillePOTTSVILLE — A heated battle for starting quarterback has grown during the Pottsville Apaches offseason. According to Pottsville head coach Bryan Rust, both senior Jake White and junior Greyson Stevens bring something a little different to the field. He wouldn't be surprised to see both under center in difference circumstances. "Both have competed really well," Rust said. "Jake brings some qualities that Greyson doesn't and visa versa. Both of...

College-bound athletes put in extra workWhen the average high school football player calls it a day, some stay on the field, in the weight room or at a skill camp trying to make a dream a reality -- to play college football. Hector High School senior quarterback Tanner Gaines and Lamar High School senior quarterback Hunter Davenport know all to well the extra hours it takes to get a chance to compete at the next level. "You have to be willing to put in any work you can get," Gaines ...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Sand Lizards seek donations for title ringsDARDANELLE -- The Dardanelle Sand Lizards soccer team earned their ring with a 5-0 victory over the Mena Bearcats in the Class 4A State Championship, but the team is still working on getting the memorabilia paid for. Dardanelle head coach Bryan Hardaway said the team needs over $10,000 to pay for the rings. "Right now we are going throughout the community to get donations for support," he said. "We aren't really doing a fundraiser until we kno...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Little Cyclones get awards at All-Position CampRussellville Cyclones head football coach Billy Dawson said he "absolutely" uses camps like the Little Cyclones All-Position Camp that concluded on Thursday and today's Little Cyclones QB/WR Camp to keep an eye on which kids develop into key cogs on the football team. "There's no question about it," he said. "We're always looking at the development of kids and identifying kids in all positions." Dawson said the all-positions camp was used prim...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

#throwbackthursdayRepublished from a 1974 edition of The Courier-Democrat #throwbackthursday WINNING DUO -- Plainview's Debi Dale (12) and Peggy Morrison (22) played key roles in the Panther's 37-35 win over Danville in Saturday's senior girls final of the Yell County Tournament. Miss Dale led all scorers with 21 points. Miss Morrison hit clutch free throws late in the game to preserve the narrow margin. Plainview now stands 17-5 for the season.

Post 20 falls to NLRThe Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots were defeated 6-1 by North Little Rock on Monday at Tech Field. Luke Price was the losing pitcher. He gave up one hit, two runs and walked one in less than an inning. Christian Ewing, Nick Hagerty, Mason Huie and Jared Dawson all took turns on the bump. North Little Rock only needed one pitcher -- Christian Goshen lasted seven innings, struck out six, walked one, gave up three hits and one earn...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

RHS cheer brings home awards from NCA campHOT SPRINGS -- The Russellville Cyclones cheerleaders attended the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) Performance Camp at the Bank of the Ozarks Arena over the weekend where they won the chant competition, placed second in the jam routine and won a bid to the NCA Nationals next spring. The entire team was nominated for the All-American Award, and 10 girls were selected to the NCA All-American team. The All-American cheerleaders from Russe...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Dardanelle hires Vega as head football coachDARDANELLE — Phil Vega has always wanted to be a head football coach, so when former Dardanelle Sand Lizards head coach Josh Price took a position at Stuttgart, it seemed like a perfect fit. Vega is entering his 12th season with the Sand Lizards, but his first season as head coach after receiving a promotion at the Dardanelle School Board meeting on Monday. "Since I got here [Dardanelle] I have felt at home," Vega said. "It felt like a great p...

Patriots pick up wins over weekendFORT SMITH -- The Russellville American Legion Post 20 Patriots have won four of their last five games after this weekend's 2016 Katzer Tournament with victories over Three Rivers and Ardmore. Manager Zach Hettinga said there's still plenty of work to be done, but he is happy with the improvement. "We're playing a lot better," he said. "But I still don't think we've pitched as well as we can, and we certainly haven't played as good of defense ...

Eli Cranor takes job at MorriltonCLARKSVILLE -- The Clarksville Panthers "Blast Furnace" lost heat on Wednesday after Panthers head football coach Eli Cranor accepted an assistant coaching position with 5A-West Conference foe Morrilton. Cranor said he informed the team as soon as he was able to. "That was maybe the toughest thing I've done in the last two and a half years," he said. "There's some guys who've been in the foxhole with me their whole careers, especially that var...

Warriors boast numbers at summer workoutsLAMAR -- Warriors head football coach Josh Jones said he feels good about his team's progress through the offseason. For one thing -- numbers are up. For another, the Jones said the players have shown up with good, hard-working attitudes. "Numbers during spring football were somewhere around 45 kids," Jones said. "We may have lost a couple, but that's about 10-12 kids more than last year, and they are working hard. We've had a lot of kids turn...

by
BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
sports@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley